The Hairspray from Haven
by Eva Kelly
Summary: When a cop looses his partner, Booth works a case that hits a little too close to home. Examining ancient remains in Guam for six weeks, Brennan finally learns what it means to miss someone, and what it means to come home. I do not own Bones!
1. Chapter 1

"Booth" Seely answered the persistent ring of the cell phone but his eyes were on his son. His brow furrowed in concentration as put on his first pair of hockey skates.

"Booth it's me" the familiar voice filled the receiver and he broke into a grin.

"Bones hey!" he couldn't keep the smile from his voice "You miss me yet? Three weeks in Guam with no murder to investigate- You must be pretty bored."

"Daddy is that Bones? Hey, let me talk to her!" he tried to stand on his skates but fell instantly back onto the bench and scowled.

"Hey Bones, Parker wants to talk to you just a sec," he handed the phone over and knelt to work on his son's skates, adjusting them so they fit more comfortably.

"Bones! Hey, I got the chemistry set that you sent me and it is so cool!" He paused for only a second before prattling on "Me and Max are gonna make some sta… sta.. stagagmites like in a cave or something" his little mouth started making weird shapes and Booth stopped fiddling with his skates long enough to watch.

"Sta.. lac…tites. Yeah those things. Hey Bones when are you comin' home? I think my dad misses…" Booth yanked the phone out of his little hand and put a finger to his mouth to quiet Parker, who looked thoroughly insulted.

"Yeah hey Bones it's me again how's Guam?"

"Well the repatriation of human remains to indigenous groups for reburial has really limited the access researchers have to skeletal materials for extensive anthropological research... so this is really an incredible opportunity."

"Sure but is it hot there? Are there any beaches? Eaten at any good restaurants?"

"The temperature is satisfactory for the type of work we are doing. How's Parker's birthday? Did he like his skates?" He was more than a little surprised that she had remembered something like his son's birthday.

"We're just at the rink trying them out. Haven't gotten on the ice yet but I think they'll fit okay… hey when you coming back Bones? I can only get so much help from your interns you know"

"I'm here for another three weeks so you'll have to make do without me for a while longer" she said, not a hint of humility in her tone. "So I should probably let you go so you can get on the ice."

His heart sunk unaccountably "Sure, I mean if you need to go smell skeletons' and stuff I mean…."

"You okay Booth? You sound…"

"I'm fine Bones. Hey why don't I pick you up at the airport huh?" he asked, oddly pleased with the idea.

"Angela is picking me up"

"Fine, I'll get your flight info from her and let her know she doesn't have to pick you up after all. See you in three weeks." He snapped the phone closed before she could argue.

* * *

Brennan stared at the phone in her hand for a full minute after Booth hung up before one corner of her mouth quirked into a lopsided grin. Talking to her partner made her feel something. Something other than intellectual stimulation or exhaustion which was a welcome change. It was as though she felt complete and empty at the same time.

It must have something to do with the dreams she was having about Booth's tumor. Obviously, her subconscious was still concerned about him, thus it welcomed evidence of his wellbeing and continued good health.

Satisfied with her rationale, she returned to the partially exposed skeletal remains at her feet. The teeth were died red and black as was the traditional decoration of the Chamorro. It was surprising that the color had remained intact under the earth for so long. Before long she was lost in her work.

* * *

"Carmen Marnata" Angela handed him the missing person file with the face of a beautiful young Hispanic police officer clipped to the front. "Her partner reported her missing three days ago." Angela wore a short black skirt and high heeled boots. She looked like a million bucks and Booth told her so. Her wide grin transformed her face from concerned to radiant in milliseconds. She held a red beaded bag over one shoulder and turned to leave.

"I'll call you in an hour Ang" Hodgins said without looking up from his microscope.

"I owe you one Hodgy" she tossed the words carelessly over her shoulder as she strutted out of the room.

"I thought she was going on a date?" Booth said, confused. "Why are you calling her?"

"It's a blind date and she needs an excuse to leave if the guy's a tool."

"Wow, you guys have come a long ways!" his eyebrows shot up as he examined the scientist's face for signs of deceit.

Hodgins looked up and smirked "We've moved on. I'm actually seeing someone else now." His face expressed pride, rather than pleasure at the declaration.

"Good for you buddy. Enjoy your phone date. I'm going to talk to Carmen's parents and her partner. Let me know if you get anything more from the gunk or whatever."


	2. Chapter 2

Carmen's partner had blond hair, blue eyes and a boyish face. He was a young thirty two. Well muscled and tall. He looked more like a California volleyball player than a DC beat cop. The man was devastated. His grief surpassed even that of her parents. He wept openly and it took a few minutes for him to calm down enough to speak coherently.

"I'm sorry Jeremy but I've got to ask these questions. You understand?"

"Yeah" he dried his eyes.

"Do you know anyone that might try to hurt Carmen?" The young officer took a deep breath and sifted through his memories.

"The usual you know. We work some pretty rough neighborhoods. Crack heads, dealers, prostitutes. Any one of them could have gotten pissed when she put them behind bars."

"Anyone stand out? Any of them seem angrier than the others?"

"Guy named Chavez. Vincent Chavez. We busted him for a meth deal a few months back and he threatened her life. He walked because they couldn't make the charges stick, so we still saw him every once in a while. I told him to stay away from her."

"Anyone else we should talk to Jeremy? Anyone who might know things about Carmen that you and her parents don't know?"

"You might talk to her roommate, Lexie"

* * *

"She wasn't seeing anybody really. Nothing serious. She didn't date much. All she ever did was work." The tiny blond woman wiped a tear from her eye and continued in a soft, weepy voice "She was a great roommate. Paid the rent on time, clean… never had loud parties or loud music. She didn't have anyone really… other than that Jeremy guy she worked with."

"They pretty close?"

"Yeah. I mean he was over here a lot. Just to eat dinner, watch TV… that kinda stuff. Nothing sexual or anything. But I think that was just because he had a girlfriend. Those two were meant to be together."

"How so?"

"You should have seen them together. They were total opposites. She was a vegetarian, an artist, she loved cats and romantic comedies and pretty jewelry. Jeremy likes dogs and Die Hard and he hunts. He likes to hang animal trophies on his walls and he teased her constantly with them. He loved leaving them in the car to freak her out." Her lips curved into a smile as she slipped slowly into her memory. The girl obviously loved to talk.

"They would argue about everything but sometimes when they would look at each other….I don't know. It was like no one else was in the room. I felt like I was intruding on something private between them. And he was crazy protective of her. He was always double checking the security system and the door locks. Carmen hated that. But I think she was really in love with him."

"You think he knew that?"

"Hard to tell with those two. It was complicated. He might have known…. But he might have been totally clueless too."

* * *

"Having a good time?" Hodgins asked casually.

"Sorry Kent, excuse me, I need to take this call. It's work." Angela stood and headed for the bathrooms.

"I take it he is not prince charming." She heard the laughter in his voice and wanted to shoot him. But she had asked for this. It was her own fault for using an ex as a decoy.

"More frog than prince" her voice betrayed her disappointment. "He's an accountant. He's been talking about the depressed financial market for twenty minutes… and he's too tall." She added without thinking.

"Better tell him that we need you back at the lab. Solving murders is a pretty good excuse to bail on a date."

"Really? Have you ever used that one?"

"Twice in the last month." He replied "Bring take out, I'm starving."

She hadn't really planned to go back to the lab but her date was making her depressed and the thought of spending time with Hodgins, eating fattening food out of cute little boxes sounded like the perfect pick-me-up.

After awkward apologies and a call to Wong Fu's, Angela wandered back into the lab, tail between her legs. But Jack was surprisingly sensitive and didn't bring up the financial frog prince even once.

"There are traces of the polymers polyvinylpyrrolidone, polydimethylsiloxane and a few other Pytocalcious chemicals on the bones. They're most often found together in hairspray."

"Could she just have been wearing a lot of hairspray? Some women really pile it on."

"Not in these quantities. And her chest and stomach showed the highest concentrations of polymers."

"You mean this poor woman was doused in hairspray and lit on fire after being beaten over the head with a curling iron? Talk about your bad hair day!"

Hodgins rolled his eyes at her lame joke. "I'll run these ratios and see if I can come up with a brand name for the hairspray." As he left the platform his phone rang.

"Hey Kelly…. Working… I'll be here a while yet…No… No… maybe tomorrow night. Yup… Night babe"

Angela snorted "You just blew her off"

"Did not" but the corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly.

"Did too. You blew her off Hodgins – I know a blow off when I see one."

The twitch morphed into a smirk and he walked away.


	3. Chapter 3

Brennan woke up covered in sweat. Another dream about Booth's tumor. This time he had died. She'd been to his funeral, only he was buried naked in a bathtub with his beer hat on. She sat and swung her feet to the floor under her cot. Her heart was pounding and she felt the familiar fear that consumed her whenever Booth was in danger. When he was blown up, or shot or kidnapped… she had been terrified…. panicked… images of her partner covered in blood flashed insistently through her mind. She had an overwhelming urge to call him.

This was ridiculous. She never called home when she was on a dig. Never. Well… she had broken that rule and called Parker on his birthday but that was completely different. Before that, she had never called her friends or her family and she asked them not to call her. She liked to immerse herself in the culture and the science. Keeping her mind free of restraints. But this time was different. Something was missing.

She was feeling a need to connect. Which was completely normal, anthropologically speaking. And at home she connected with Booth and Angela and sometimes her dad and brother. But they weren't around so she just needed to find someone else to connect with.

She eased herself to the rug that covered the dirt floor of her tent and lay down on her back, assuming the "Savasana" or "Corpse Pose" to deepen her relaxation and fight off insomnia. She tried to clear her thoughts with breathing exercises. When that didn't work she tried to catalogue the people with her on the dig and choose one or two to connect with. When that didn't work she thought of Booth.

His warm eyes, the way he smelled, the way his voice sounded… in mere moments she was asleep.

* * *

"You threatened Carmen Marnata."

"No" Chavez smirked and Booth got irritated.

"Did it piss you off when she slapped those handcuffs on you? Did it bother you that you were taken down by a woman?" The dealer's eyes flashed a warning and he ignored it.

"She made you look like less of a man didn't she? Like some sorry ass kid being spanked by his mamma." Chavez snapped. He shot out of his chair and the vein in his forehead throbbed noticeably.

"That little bitch never scared me." Booth's eyebrows rose, encouraging the suspect to elaborate.

"It was her partner…. Big guy. Big gun." He sat back down and looked defiantly at Booth. "Said he would kill me. Put his gun in my goddamn mouth and said he would goddamned kill me if I got anywhere near that bitch. I seen his eyes man. He'd a done it. He'd a done it right there if I'd so much as breathed wrong… I left that bitch alone man. I ain't stupid."

When Booth was back in the interrogation room, Sweets studied him in that annoying shrink way before he said anything. "I have to ask… doesn't this all seem a bit, familiar to you Agent Booth?"

"What? You mean that little outburst in there? Sure it does, seen it a thousand times… guy like that…"

"No." he replied slowly, as though Booth were a child "I mean the relationship between these partners Agent Booth and I think you know that."

"Can we just stick to the case here Sweets? What do you think huh? You think Chavez doused that girl in hairspray and lit her on fire?"

"I don't, and neither do you."

Booth let out a slow steady breath to calm himself. "Alright. So where does that leave us?"

"I think you need to take a closer look at that partnership." He said in that superior tone that drove him crazy. "There's something there that we're missing. It's the thing in her life that doesn't fit. Young, attractive, successful woman with no boyfriend or friends and a partner obsessed with her safety? There's a motive in there somewhere."

"I don't wanna put this guy through it again. He's tore up Sweets. Like any guy who loses his partner."

Sweets shrugged and left the room and Booth leaned against the glass. His mind drifted back to a case a few years back. A gang leader put a hit out on Bones and he had done exactly what Jeremy had. He'd threatened the bastard. He'd shoved a gun in his mouth and told him to back off. It worked, and he still wasn't sorry he'd done it.


	4. Chapter 4

He arrived at Jeremy's house around dinner time, hoping to catch the girlfriend as well. But he was surprised to find an apartment full of people. Most of them bore a striking resemblance to the young officer. Big blue eyes, blond hair and rosy cheeks. Jeremy welcomed him in and introduced him to his two younger sisters, his nieces and nephews , his older brother, his parents and finally, his girlfriend.

The girlfriend was a gorgeous brunette. Legs up to her armpits and long fake fingernails. Her hair was perfect, her makeup was perfect and her clothes fit her like a glove. She was one of those women who was obviously high maintenance. Not like Bones. Bones didn't need all that crap to make her beautiful.

Jeremy gestured for him to follow him but before Booth made it out of the room a little blond girl tugged on his suit jacket. "Excuse me mister," he smiled down at her.

"You can call me Seely." Her cheeks flushed and her neck strained to look him in the eyes. "Mister Seely sir are you going to find out what happened to my Carmel?" A tear dripped down one cheek and he knelt down to look her in the eyes.

"You miss her don't you?"

"Carmel was my favorite. And I know that something bad happened only my dad says I'm not old enough to talk about it." She lowered her voice to a whisper "but she was my best friend and I think she was too pretty to die" tears were streaming down her face now and Booth enveloped her in a hug.

"I'll find out what happened. Don't you worry about that. She sure was lucky to have a best friend like you."

He found Jeremy and his girlfriend seated at the kitchen table waiting expectantly for him. "You can go for now Ms. Staple, I'll have a few questions for you after I'm done with Jeremy here." The girl shrugged and left the room.

"Tell me about your relationship with your partner." He started easy.

"We were partners for five years and four months, we were best friends… She saved my life twice, I saved hers four times. She babysat my nieces and nephews; she was like part of the family."

"And how did you feel about her?"

"I loved her."

"Did she know?"

"No… she wasn't interested in me that way." His face was drained of color and he stared at a speck on the table in front of him as he spoke.

"So you started dating Maggie?"

"Yeah. About a year ago, after Carm had started dating this guy, I finally gave up and started going out with Maggie. Carm broke up with the guy but I was stubborn… I thought it was the only way for me to get over her… but it just made things worse. Carmen already had a place in my family, with my friends, in my… heart… Maggie could never fill those shoes but she tries. She's a good person. I really don't deserve her."

"Chavez said you threatened to kill him."

"Damn straight I did."

"Would you have killed him?"

"If he tried to hurt Carmen I would have killed him in a heartbeat." He didn't even think before he responded. "Wouldn't you do the same?"

"Maggie see a lot of other guys?"

"She went out on dates but it never turned into anything."

"Did that make you jealous?"

"Of course it did Agent Booth. It was torture. And then the next day she would come to work and tell me about her dates… do you have any idea what that was like?" Booth knew exactly what that was like but didn't say so.

"Her roommate said she didn't see anybody except you…. Or at least she didn't bring them home. "

"That's impossible. She just went out with a guy from vice last week. Said she cooked him dinner at her house."

"Got a name?"

"Roy Keaton"

Booth's phone rang and interrupted their conversation. It was Angie "Hodgins identified the brand of hairspray that was used as an accelerant, it's called Bralo and it's made exclusively for a high end chain of salon's in the DC area called Haven."

"That's where Maggie works" he said quietly. "I'll get a warrant." He decided to wait until he'd searched the salon before questioning Maggie Staples.

As he left the apartment he heard stories about Carmen drifting over the sound of the TV. Laughing and crying. These people loved her. This is where she was most at home. He could sense it.


	5. Chapter 5

"File on Maggie Staple, my prime suspect. She look like a killer to you? Crime of passion maybe, jealous of Jeremy's feelings for his partner? I'm bringing her in for questioning"

"I'll take a look Agent Booth." He put his fingertips together and looked quizzically up at Booth from his desk. " You ready to talk to me about this case yet?"

"I just did"

"You and Dr. Brennan are in a very similar situation Agent Booth. You are extremely close and you've admitted to having feelings of love and desire for her in the past. How does this case make you feel?"

"I'm worried about Parker okay." It was hard to tell who was more surprised by the confession, Booth or Sweets. Booth sat down uncomfortably in a nearby chair and leaned forward. "Last night I saw what losing that girl did to Jeremy's family. They loved her and they lost her and those kids… they don't understand what happened. "

"And you're concerned that Parker is getting too close to Dr. Brennan?"

"Last night, he made a picture frame for her. Skelaton's on red paper, dancing around a picture of him and Max making stalactites. I mean is that normal? For a kid to make something like that for his dad's co-worker?"

"You will have to set those boundaries for yourself Agent Booth. He is your child and you choose what sorts of relationships it is appropriate for him to pursue"

"So you think I should stop him from hanging out with Bones so he doesn't get hurt if something happens to her."

"I didn't say that at all. I said you have to decide…. I've heard you tell Dr. Brennan over and over again that it's worth the risk to open up to someone. I'm surprised to hear you wavering in that conviction."

"It's different when it's my kid Sweets. I'm responsible for him. And Bones, she doesn't attach easily. Hell she's been gone for a month and I've only heard from her one time. The woman has serious attachment issues and after seeing that little girl today, I just… I don't know if Parker could handle it if she got hurt or if she changed jobs or if she stopped wanting to spend time with us"

Angela burst in "Sweets, I need to talk to you immediately." Booth stood up and cleared his throat.

"Uh… thanks for taking a look at that file for me Sweets." He headed for the door and stopped with his hand on the door handle. "Angela before I forget, I told Bones I'd pick her up from the airport so I need her flight information and all that…."

"Wait, wait…. Wait, wait, wait" she rounded on him with a piercing glare. "You actually spoke to her?"

"Last week."

"You mean she called you?"

"Yeah, you know, phones…ringing… talking…. Hanging up. The usual."

"Brennan has never, called me from a dig. I mean never." He pulled his hand off the door and stood facing Angela. "Never?"

"Never Booth. She effectively cuts off all communication during her time away so she can focus on her work. She doesn't even call us for help with the labwork or call her house sitter to check on her place or her dad or her brother….or her boyfriends…. Didn't you ever notice that before? When was the last time she called you from a dig?"

"It was Parker's birthday. She just called to see if he got the chemistry set."

"She remembered Parker's birthday?" She said incredulously as a knowing smile spread slowly across her face. She stared at Booth for a long moment and then nodded as though she had made a decision. "Sure I'll email you her flight. Thanks for picking her up Booth." The smile turned inward and secret and Booth decided it was time to escape.

"Interesting isn't it?" Angela said to sweets as she plopped comfortably into the couch. "How clueless they are."

"What can I do for you Angela?" Sweets asked smiling.

"Remind me why me and Hodgins broke up." She demanded.

"You felt he didn't trust you and that you needed trust to make the relationship successful."

"Is trust really so important? I mean what about sex and fun and takeout?"

"What do you think Angela? You were the one who made the decision to begin with. Has your perception of trust and relationships changed?" She didn't answer right away. Instead she thought about kissing Grayson. And then she thought about Jack kissing Kelly. How it twisted her gut every time she saw them together and they weren't even dating. How he must have felt when he found out that she had kissed another man. How she would have felt if he'd done the same thing while they were together.

"No. I still think he should have trusted me but…." She jumped out of the chair and walked out of the room leaving Dr. Sweets staring blankly after her.


	6. Chapter 6

"How well did you know Carmen Ms. Staple?" Booth asked casually.

"Pretty well. I mean we weren't friends or anything but we spent a lot of time together since her and Jeremy were so close." Not a hint of jealousy was evident in her voice.

"Did it bother you that Jeremy and Carmen were so close?"

"Not really. They were friends before I came along so I knew what I was getting into when Jeremy and I got together."

"Where were you on the 11th at about 7pm?"

"Probably at the gym. I go there every night after work."

"We called the gym and they say you showed up that night around nine instead of seven."

"I must have worked late."

"Then you must have seen Carmen's murderer because you see, she was killed between five and nine pm at Haven that night. Forensic evidence in the basement of the salon confirms it. And your co-workers were there until six…. And they all say that you stayed later."

"I'd like a lawyer please before I answer any more questions." She said easily and didn't speak another word.

"I'm sorry." Angela pulled a chair up next to Hodgins station and watched as he fit a small shard of charred bone under the microscope.

"For what?" he asked, not looking up.

"For kissing Grayson." He turned his head to look suspiciously at her.

"You are?" He looked surprised.

"I know. I was surprised too, but I was thinking about it today and even though it didn't mean anything and you had no reason to be jealous, I can see why you were and I'm sorry."

His features softened "Thanks Ang. That really means a lot."

"Yeah well…" she blushed at the familiar look in his eyes. "I better go work up a simulation of the murder in the Angilator." He watched her walk away and allowed himself a stupid grin.


	7. Chapter 7

Only one week until she could go home. It was a foreign concept to her. Wishing she was somewhere else. She loved these meaningful getaways. Time to rekindle her passion for her work and to bring her back to her original love, ancient remains.

But she was lonely. She had changed. She was no longer used to being without her partner. He was everywhere in her life. In her family, her friends, her work and even in her books to some extent. She didn't know how to be without him. But that was normal, she supposed, when you spend a significant amount of time with a person, to notice the lack of their presence. She refused to acknowledge anything further than the simple fact, that she missed him. She grabbed her cell from the floor beside the cot. 11:15pm. She wasn't going to get any sleep until she heard his voice, she calculated the time difference and figured it would be 8:15am in DC. He'd be at his office.

"Booth" he answered quickly, his voice gravely and tired.

"Did I wake you up?"

"Bones?" Surprise tinged his response.

"I'm sorry Booth I thought you'd be at the office." She wasn't sorry, just happy to hear his voice.

"I got a meeting a couple blocks away at nine so I thought I'd sleep in. Guess that's not happening?"

"Guess not." She replied without even considering hanging up and letting him go back to sleep. She could feel herself relaxing.

"Everything okay Bones?"

"Yes – I just thought I'd check and see how things are going."

"What time is it there Bones, isn't it the middle of the night? You decided to check how things were going in the middle of the night?"

"It's only eleven….." silence filled both ends of the phone. "I couldn't sleep. I figured you'd be up and you could tell me about your case or something."

"Cop named Carmen, hit with a curling iron, doused in hairspray and burned to death. Tossed in the river."

"Any leads?"

He paused "Her partner's girlfriend did it. But she won't talk and our evidence is circumstantial. We have to prove it."

"Then how do you know she did it? You can't possibly know the truth until you have the evidence."

"Her boyfriend was in love with the victim. She works at the place where the victim was murdered and …I can see it in her eyes."

"You cannot Booth, her eyes are irrelevant."

"See this is why I miss you Bones, you're so full of helpful insights."

"Why did the victim go to the girlfriend's workplace?"

"I don't know Bones, maybe she needed a haircut. Maybe she had split ends."

"That doesn't make sense. Maybe there's something you overlooked. Have you looked through her house?"

"Yeah Bones, I looked through her house, what do you think this is my first day on the job? Of course I looked through her house."

"Seems like you must have missed something when you did. Maybe you should take Wendell or Angela."

"You know what Bones, if you like telling me what to do so much, why do you stay away so long?"

"It's an excellent opportunity…" he interrupted. "Sure it is. But it would still be an excellent opportunity if you went for two weeks or three weeks. Why six? Huh?"

"It's just how long it takes Booth." She smiled as she recognized the irritation in his voice. He missed her. It was the same tone he took with Rebecca when she took Parker away for a long vacation. For some reason that made her feel good. Really good.

"It's ridiculous. That's what it is. You're off the map for six weeks doing god knows what with god knows who. You could be shot or fall into a pit or something and nobody would know."

"That's not true. My colleagues would know." She said simply.

"I'm your colleague right?"

"Yes."

"And I wouldn't know."

"Your logic is flawed. Some colleagues would know, not others. The use of the word 'colleague' in no way implies that you would have knowledge of my safety or lack thereof."

"Whatever Bones, the point is…"

"Six weeks is too long." She finished his sentence. "I agree."

"Really?"

"Really. How's Parker?"

"He made you a picture frame." She smiled and felt warmth spread through her body and seep into the blankets. "Now you know you aren't supposed to critique the frame when he gives it to you right? He's a kid, he drew skeletons on it and they probably aren't an accurate representation of the human body but there's no need for you to make him feel bad by telling him the ulna is missing."

"I'm not an idiot Booth, I know how to talk to kids." She said irritated.

"I know Bones, it's just… he likes you and I don't want you to hurt his feelings."

"I like him too." She said carefully.

"Good"

"Good" she knew it was time to hang up and hated to. "I'll see you in a week." She said, wishing it were less.

"Yeah. See ya Bones."


	8. Chapter 8

"We got into the victims emails Agent Booth and there's one here I think you'll want to see. I'll send it to you" He opened his email and started to read.

Jeremy,  
Okay, so I'm not brave enough to do this in person. Don't judge me for doing it in an email. You know this stuff is hard for me. I didn't have dinner with Ray. I lied. I lied because I thought it would make you jealous enough to leave Maggie. I know it was childish but she's not right for you Jeremy. I am. I love you so much and I can't stand to see you with her for another minute. If you don't feel the same way, please tell me now so I can move on. I'm sorry I waited so long to say something. Forgive me.

Love,

Carm

Booth printed the email and called Jeremy in for questioning.

"You said she didn't feel the same way." He slid the paper across the table. The officer read it as though it were the first time, covering his mouth, tears escaped from one eye.

"Says here you opened this on the morning of Carmen's murder"

"What?" he put the paper down and stared blankly at Booth.

"See right there" he indicated the numbers at the bottom of the page. "Says you opened this at 10am and it stayed open on your computer for an hour… plenty of time to read it.

"I didn't… I never knew… I was at my nephew's basketball game that morning."

"Could Maggie have opened it?"

"No… no… she doesn't know my password."

"But if she did? And if she read this email… what do you think she would do?"

"I…I…she… she would… she'd be pretty upset…. I mean I would have left her the second I saw it. She had to know that." The door opened and Maggie and her lawyer entered.

"Did you see this Mag?" Jeremy shook the email accusingly at her.

"What is it?" she asked calmly and cautiously.

He shoved the page across the desk and she read it, no emotion showing on her perfect face.

"I've never seen this before."

"Then who opened it from the computer at Jeremy's apartment? Anyone else have keys to the apartment?"

"No"

"Was anyone else in the apartment with you?"

"I wasn't there."

"Where were you?"

"I was at work."

"Funny, because I checked with your boss and she said you called in sick that morning. Didn't come in until the afternoon." Her lawyer whispered in her ear.

"She is mistaken" Maggie stated.

Jeremy was looking at the girl with growing hatred. "You did this." His voice was a low growl. "You did this to Carmen for what? For telling me how she felt? I could have finally been happy!" Booth decided to let it play out. Maggie's reserve faltered and she looked questioningly at her lawyer.

"Agent Booth, please have this man removed from the room before we proceed."

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you did not kill my partner." Jeremy pleaded. Maggie's eyes hardened.

"You did love her didn't you? You always did. No matter how many times you told me you were just friends, I knew that you were sleeping together." She barely raised her voice.

"Of course I loved her you psycho. She was everything to me. I was never serious about you and you knew that. I never lied to you."

"But I thought…" her eyes welled up with tears…"I thought you would grow to love me over time. I thought you would get tired of waiting."

"So you got her out of the way" Booth said quietly.

"She was going to take what was mine. He was going to leave me. I asked her nicely to back off but she wouldn't listen. I had to kill her."

Booth stood at the graveside, watching Jeremy and his family grieving the loss of his partner. The little girl he'd spoken to lay a crayon drawing on her casket and stood bravely by her mother. Carmen's parents seemed to be as close to his family as Carmen was. His mother and her mother were holding hands and crying together. Drawing strength from each other.

When the service ended, Jeremy shook his hand and looked him in the eye "I should have told her how I felt." Booth was disarmed by the comment.

"Hindsight's twenty-twenty, " he said and patted his shoulder. As he walked away, he thought how lucky Jeremy was to have a family to help him get through the pain. People who loved her too, people who loved him. But he could never tell Carmen, what he meant to her. She would never know how he felt. Pain clenched at his heart as he took one last look at the grieving young man. This could be him. If Bones didn't make it back, if for some reason her plane went down… she would never know how he felt.

But it he couldn't bring himself to say the words. There was too much at stake. Their work, her heart, his heart, Parker's heart. She wasn't ready and he knew better than to push her.


	9. Chapter 9

Dr. Brennan got off the plane after a long relaxing flight and took a moment to stretch her legs. Her stomach was doing flips and twirls and she had been uncommonly anxious to get off the plane. She adjusted her shoulder bag and tugged at her green long sleeved t-shirt until it was straight. Then she took off down the familiar concourse. Her usually rational mind filled with irrational and pointless musings.

Would Booth meet her in the car or at the baggage claim? She wondered if he would be in a suit, or in street clothes. It was late so he should be done with work for the day. Probably street clothes. Why was she thinking about his clothes? She'd never paid attention to the way he dressed. But it had been so long, her subconscious mind was thirsty for new images of him. Completely irrational.

It felt like she walked for hours before she saw the baggage claim sign hanging from the ceiling. In reality it was probably only five minutes. She searched the board for her flight number and headed towards the last baggage carousel. Her eyes raked through throngs of people, seeking Booth's tall broad shouldered frame and soft brown eyes. She didn't see him anywhere. Her heart sunk and she wondered if he'd decided to wait in the car, or maybe send Angela after all.

"Bones!" definitely not Booth. Too high pitched. Angela? The crowd broke and she saw Booth, standing with Parker. Both of them had enormous grins on their faces and she felt her face transform into an answering smile. Her heart hammered and she closed the gap between them in a few small strides. She slammed into Booth's hard chest and felt herself being completely enveloped by strong arms. She breathed in the smell of him -soap and aftershave and something new and unfamiliar. Perhaps he had switched laundry detergents.

Rationally, she knew it wasn't right to be this happy to see him. To let another human being fill up the empty places in her soul and make her stronger. It simply wasn't the kind of person she was. But in this moment, she found that didn't care. She was too content to care.

Then she felt tiny arms wrap around her waist and she reached her hand down to pull Parkers head tight against her side. She was surrounded by Booths and she loved it. Seely pulled back and kissed her forehead quickly and she let herself look at his face for only a moment before kneeling to talk to Parker.

"Hey Parker how did your stalactites turn out?" she asked as she ruffled his floppy blond hair.

"They're humungous and Dad says I can show you but not tonight because you're too tired. But tomorrow do you wanna come see 'em?"

"Sure." She gave him a reassuring smile and spotted the bright red paper behind his back. "What do you have there?" She pointed and he handed it to her with a shy smile. It was a piece of bright red construction paper with a picture of Parker and Max glued to the middle. Little black skeleton's danced around the edges and white bone stickers decorated the corners.

"Oh wow! Parker did you do this?" he nodded proudly.

"This is the best present I've ever gotten." She wrapped him in a hug. The kid was bright and friendly and for some reason he liked her. Kids didn't usually like her. Other than her nieces and that baby she'd looked after for a few days.

But even stranger than his attachment to her, was her attachment to him. He was such a little person. With thoughts and ideas and pains and hurts, just like adults. He made her remember what it was to be innocent and she loved him for that. That he would put his heart and time into making something for her…. That was precious… and she would treasure it always.

"Hey Park lets go find Bones' bags huh?" She stood and watched them disappear into the crowd. Sitting on a nearby bench, she traced the outline of the picture in her hand. Only a few years ago, she'd had no one. Angela had been the only constant in her life, and even she never stayed in one place for long. Now she had a brother and sister and nieces and a father and two Booths who would never leave her. She smiled to herself.

"You have a beautiful family" a soft voice came from the bench next to her. She looked over and saw a wrinkled older woman sitting there with an enormous carry on bag resting in her lap. She was watching Booth and Parker walking towards her, pulling her suitcases behind them. She resisted the compulsion to explain that Booth was actually her partner and Parker was his son and not hers.

"Thank you." She said simply and stood up.

Booth put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm glad your back Bones." He said smiling. She felt Parker's little fingers slip into her free hand and they walked out into the night together. Like a family.

I know I know – they didn't technically get together But if I did that then I wouldn't be motivated to write more! This was my first attempt at fan fiction – what a fun concept and a great community of talented people. Thanks all for the reviews and useful feedback.


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